There now, summer is officially over and fall is sliding into winter. It's official because my husband has removed the canopy from the deck, and the garden furniture is now slated to go into storage. It's official because we finally finished cleaning up the gardens, cutting back all the perennials, composting all the annuals, raking up all the fallen foliage. It's official because today the grass has been mowed for the very last time this season. It's official because my husband put down fertilizer on the grass to encourage its hibernation and spring-time revival.

And it's official because a seed-and-nut tray has been placed out on the stone bench close to the bird feeder to ensure that the neighbourhood squirrels know they haven't been deserted over the winter months. And to keep them from their strenuous acrobatic efforts to reach the seeds and nuts in the bird feeder; to leave them for the birds.

Bluejays are continuing to come around; their bright blue foliage is a nice contrast to the scarlet of the cardinals. The single dove that enjoys spending its loafing time in the garden close to the food source has returned and can be seen making itself comfortable for hours at a time; even the presence of saucy little adolescent red squirrels won't make this dove move if it hasn't a mind to. We can only hope that self-preservation kicks in at appropriate times; when, for example, the black cat next door goes on the prowl as it sometimes does, around the shrubs in the garden, lying in wait for any opportunities that may present themselves.

We've now placed out for municipal garbage collection the last of the filled-to-capacity large compost bags which are used for the production of finished compost during the growing season. All that's left to do is to empty the garden pots at the front of the house. All of the garden pots at the back of the house have already been emptied, in preparation for storage under the deck, covered by a large tarp until the ice and snow of the coming winter departs and they can be resurrected once again next spring.